


from this day forth i shall be faithful and loyal

by zhennie



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, M/M, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:33:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25738117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zhennie/pseuds/zhennie
Summary: Prince Itaru is waiting in the garden when Sir Chikage finally comes home.
Relationships: Chigasaki Itaru/Utsuki Chikage
Comments: 6
Kudos: 54
Collections: ChikaIta Week 2020





	from this day forth i shall be faithful and loyal

**Author's Note:**

> chikaita week day 3: flowers/rainy days

“Your Highness.” 

Itaru, the heir to the throne of the Spring Kingdom, the Gerbera Prince, turned away from the flowers he was admiring in the garden, its colors seemingly muted by the clouds blanketed across the sky, shading the world into grey. It hadn’t begun to rain yet, but he was sure it certainly would before the end of day. And yet, he was here outside anyways, wandering back and forth in the garden, restlessly pacing, waiting for something--someone--that he would only admit to in the deepest, most unknown parts of his heart. 

“Sir Chikage,” Itaru acknowledged with a small smile, his lips lifting at the corners to form an elegant curve, “we weren’t expecting you back until later.” 

“Ah, yes, Your Highness, we left early since it looked like it might storm,” Chikage replied from where he was. On one knee with his head bent, he looked every bit the image of the dutiful knight. His clothes were still dusty, Itaru noticed, and his hair still slightly tousled, likely from riding at a faster pace than his words implied in order to get back to the castle. It only made the contrast between them even greater--Itaru, his clothes still neat and clean and cutting an elegant figure overall, and Chikage, tumbled at the edges in a way that spoke of the effort and exertion that Itaru usually tried to avoid.

“Rise, Sir Chikage,” Itaru said, letting his voice fall easily and lightly—his court voice. As Chikage straightened up, Itaru couldn’t help but add, “Are you sure you didn’t come back early for me?” 

“Why would I do that?” Chikage replied immediately, raising his eyebrows.

“Hmm,” Itaru hummed, letting his voice rise in a mix between a question and a retort. He felt his own face softening into something private, for all they were standing outside, in full view of anyone walking by. How many times had they stood together just like this with no one the wiser? Chikage had always been a mystery, from the first day he’d arrived at court and sworn himself to the Spring Kingdom. And Itaru--well, Itaru had known, for as long as he could remember, that he was the prince, with all that entailed. They were always careful individually, so it made sense that together, they knew exactly how to put on a front.

Of course, it was becoming harder and harder to keep that front up. Every time Itaru had to feign boredom as the knights reported to his father, every time they passed each other in the hallway in feigned casualness, striking up a seemingly sudden and mundane conversation, was just another chip in Itaru’s resolve and mask.

“The garden seems to be growing well,” Chikage commented--but he wasn’t looking at the flowers. His gaze was fixed steadily and unwaveringly at Itaru, and Itaru had to resist the urge to look away, or otherwise hide his face from Chikage’s frank stare. 

“Ah, that’s all Tsumugi’s doing, of course,” Itaru said, giving in and glancing away, back down at the neat rows of flowers, their blooms and colors distinct, and yet tangling together, at the same time. 

“Itaru,” Chikage said, stepping forward, his voice lowering as his actions became bolder. 

“Chikage,” Itaru replied, turning back to look at him as he advanced. Itaru stepped back, automatically, but Chikage reached out, catching his sleeve. They stood like that for a moment, neither moving nor letting go, and then Itaru said, his voice steadier than his heartbeat felt, “Chikage, you should let go. Someone is going to see.” 

“No one is going to see,” Chikage replied easily. Itaru gave a little laugh at that--from anyone else, he might not have believed it. But from Chikage….well, it was hard to not believe Chikage. 

“It’s going to rain soon,” Itaru said, stepping forward finally, shifting his body to block the view of their hands as he interlaced their fingers together. 

“We met on a day like this one, didn’t we?” Chikage asked, looking up at the sky.

“Yes…” Itaru replied, giving Chikage’s hand a squeeze--because he could, because he needed the reminder that this was reality, “you were new to court. Everyone was gossiping about you, I hope you know that.” 

“I’d be more surprised if they weren’t,” Chikage said, with a laugh in his voice, “a man with nothing but the clothes on his back, a sword, and a single letter of reference? Anyone would talk.” Itaru scoffed, and Chikage laughed for real. 

“And were you included in ‘everyone’, Your Highness?” Chikage teased, and Itaru looked away, this time not able to stop the blush that he was sure was rising on his face. 

“It was a whole ceremony,” Chikage continued, “where I was to swear my loyalty to the King, and to the whole royal family.” As Itaru turned back, Chikage’s gaze on him was soft, filled with something neither of them dared to qualify yet. 

“I stood in front of you,” Chikage said, “in front of the whole court, and I swore, just like this.” He stepped back, their hands still connected, and knelt down again on one knee, his head bowed down.    


“I, Chikage Utsuki, do swear that from this day forth, I will serve Prince Itaru. I will go where he goes and stay where he stays. His friends shall be my friends, and his enemies my enemies. I shall be faithful and loyal, and unwavering in my love for him, for as long as I shall live.” 

Itaru stared at their joined hands--at the feel of the calluses on Chikage’s hands and the gentleness with which he held Itaru’s hand. And he startled, just a little, as the first drops of rain finally fell, just as the sky had foretold like another promise. It was a different promise to the one Chikage was making him, and yet, the same at the same time--an inevitably, a conclusion, something you could look up to in the sky and know, ‘yes, soon, this will definitely happen.’

“Rise, Sir Chikage,” Itaru finally said, letting the words sink in and the rain seal them further. And as Chikage stood, Itaru let his selfishness come through, and he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Chikage.

“You didn’t swear it like that the first time,” Itaru said, quietly. 

“Didn’t I?” Chikage replied. 

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this entire fic because I really needed chikage to swear a fealty oath to itaru, that's all. 
> 
> thank you to lily and kuro for betaing.


End file.
